In 'Fly,' Mitchell S. Jackson looks back over the history of fashion in the NBA

NPR's Book of the Day

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Books, Arts

4.2 • 672 Ratings

🗓️ 13 September 2023

⏱️ 11 minutes

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Summary

From Walt "Clyde" Frazier to Russell Westbrook, a new book by Pulitzer Prize winner Mitchell S. Jackson chronicles the relationship between style and basketball over decades. Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion features photos and analysis of how the Civil Rights movement, the infamous dress code, and Instagram have all played a role in the evolution of NBA players' modes of expression. In today's episode, Jackson tells NPR's Ayesha Rascoe how race and activism also intersect with the perception of the sport, and why he thinks we're seeing the most exciting tunnel walks yet.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. There's this kind of infamous photo of the
0:08.0	2003 NBA draft class. It's got some heavy hitters in it. LeBron James, Dwayne Wade,
0:13.2	Carmelo, Anthony, and they're all lined up, looking their best, but they are swimming in
0:19.1	their suits. They all look like they're eight years old and had to borrow their older brother's clothes for Picture Day,
0:25.5	which is especially funny if you consider these are big dudes.
0:30.2	And yet their trousers are so long.
0:32.9	They've got these giant pools of fabric at their feet.
0:36.6	Now, if you follow basketball at all, you know
0:39.7	NBA fashion has changed and every game is an opportunity to get a fit off. And Pierce Aisha Rosco
0:46.7	spoke with writer Mitchell S. Jackson about his new book, Fly, the big book of basketball
0:51.7	fashion. And they talked about how what these players wore off the court was a direct reflection of the wider culture.
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1:40.1	They're known for soaring above the court.
1:44.7	Twisting and turning before they slam dunks.
	...

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